


A Moment's Peace

by queen_scribbles



Series: Astrid Hawke Canon [11]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 11:32:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18234305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Astrid is very good at knowing when her husband needs a break





	A Moment's Peace

 

There was so much to do. There was _always_ so much to do.

Sebastian rubbed his temples and briefly wondered how Astrid had stayed sane. Some of his cousin’s policies had been less than stellar, but Starkhaven had still been in better shape when it became _his_ than Kirkwall had been when it became _hers_.  If his wife had dealt with this and worse, it was a true wonder she hadn’t snapped.

“Alright, love, when you start doing that, it’s time for a break.” Astrid stood in the doorway, one shoulder leaned against the dark wood frame and a smile of gentle remonstrance playing at her lips.

Sebastian met the smile with a rueful one of his own. “Lovely as that sounds, I really shouldn’t. I haven’t even gotten to the letters from Nevarra yet-”

“Sebastian.” She pushed away from the wall. “Darling.” Slow, deliberate strides carried her toward him. She circled the desk and bent to kiss his temple. “It will keep until morning. King Markus isn’t going to turn on us because you’re not hasty in returning correspondence. Besides,” she whispered, standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders. “Eilidh’s asleep, hopefully for the night.” She started rubbing circles with her thumbs. “It could just be _us."_

“Oh, you don’t fight fair, love,” Sebastian groaned, subconsciously leaning into her touch as she massaged out tension he hadn’t realized he was carrying. He suspected there was healing magic in there, but it was faint enough he couldn’t tell for sure.

Astrid chuckled, moving her hands down his back. “I can show you not fighting fair if you really want me to. _**Bas**_.” Her fingers trailed back up to his shoulders.  “Or you can give me an hour on this clear, beautiful night where we lay on the grass and look at the stars--or _anything_ that gets you fresh air for a bit--and I won’t _have_ to.”

He smirked, tipping his head back to look at her. “Ah, so it’s blackmail, then.”

“If you want to call it that,” she said with an innocent smile, bending forward to kiss the tip of his nose. “I’m well familiar with the requirements of running a city-state, love. But that also means I know how far you can reasonably push before you risk burning out.”

“Alright, I surrender,” Sebastian laughed ruefully. He reached up to capture one of her hands, bringing it close enough to kiss the back before releasing it as he stood. “I can spare an hour.”

“Or so,” Astrid corrected mischievously, pushing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“Changin’ the terms already, are we?” Having done much the same thing when she was a freshly-titled ruler herself, he had to smile at the transparency.

“Well, it’s hard to keep track of the time when you’re laying in the grass looking at the stars,” she said innocently as she looped her arm through his and tugged him toward the door.

“Given that you’ve mentioned star-gazing twice now, I have a strong suspicion that’s what you want to do with this hour or so,” he said playfully, allowing himself to be led out of the room and down the hall.

“Do you have a better idea?” Astrid ran the fingers of her free hand through her hair. “This is for _you_ to get a break, so if there’s something you’d rather do....”

He could think of several, but all would take more than an hour or so to do properly, and all would ensure he didn’t get any more work done tonight. And a moment’s peace under the stars with her also sounded wonderful. “Not at all. Comparin’ two of the Maker’s masterpieces seems a fine way t’ relax.”

“ _Sebastian._ ” She ducked her head so he couldn’t see her face, but there was an eyeroll in her voice. “Isn’t that treading rather close to blasphemy, love?”

“What, comparin’ my wife’s beauty to that of a starry sky?” Sebastian leaned over and kissed the top of her head as they walked. “It’s admiring His handiwork on two fronts. I highly doubt the Maker would object.”

Astrid tipped her head back and looked at him with playful green eyes. “Flattery is a good way to make sure we’re out there for more than an hour.”

He laughed, covering her hand with his. “The hazard of marrying someone I love tremendously.”

Her smile spread and blossomed, crinkling the corners of her eyes, and she actually halted their progress within sight of the courtyard door to pull him down into a kiss. “I love you, too,” she murmured. “To the stars above...”

“An’ the depths of the sea,” he returned, stealing another kiss before nodding towards the door. “Shall we?”

Astrid chuckled, giving an enthusiastic nod of her own as they resumed course toward the door. “Absolutely.”

The anticipated starry night was in full brilliance when they stepped into the garden. Astrid must have informed the servants of her intention before heading to his office; there was a thick, comfortable-looking blanket spread across the ground, complete with pillows. They really only needed one. Astrid waited until Sebastian was settled and then used his chest for her pillow. He shifted slightly once she was comfortable; draping one hand loosely over her stomach to hold her hand, the other resting on his own chest to play idly with her hair.

Both sighed with something like relief once they were situated. They laid there in silence for several minutes, enjoying the peace and each other’s company, picking out the constellations they recognized.

“Find Sacrifice yet?” Astrid asked softly, her thumb rubbing the side of his hand.

“Aye,” Sebastian said, gaze tracing the connections between stars.

“What did you wish for?”

He smiled. “If I tell you it won’t come true, lass.”

“I never heard that caveat before,” she grumbled. “Beth and I always told each other. Carver said it was stupid, but I caught him staring at the stars too many night to not think he made a private wish or two.” A beat, where he could almost feel how much she missed her siblings. “Right now, all I want is for us to be hap-”

“Astrid. If you _say it_ , it won’t come true,” Sebastian admonished with a smile.

“Awfully superstitious of you,” she teased.

“Not superstitious, those are the _rules_ ,” he laughed.

“I’ve never heard that rule. Is it a Marcher thing? A Starkhaven one? Ferelden’s a lot more forgiving,” Astrid said, giggling.

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the playful censure. “I’m still not tellin’, lass.”

“You’re no fun,” she needled, but squeezed his hand to show she was teasing.

“Aye, none at all,” he agreed cheerfully.

Astrid lifted her head and lightly thumped it back against his chest, but didn’t make an actual retort, instead letting the comfortable silence return.

This had been a good choice, Sebastian acknowledged to himself, feeling the lingering tension drain from him as he searched out other constellations and enjoyed the evening and company both. He heard Astrid hum in contentment as he found Shadow. Smiled at the gradual slow of her breathing as he traced out the Oak. Rubbed his thumb lazily against the back of her hand as he located the Sun just half-visible over one of the walls. If they weren’t careful, they’d drift off and spend far more than an hour here.

At the moment, he didn’t really object to the possibility. He was pretty sure Astrid wouldn’t, either.

“S’bastian?” she murmured drowsily, as if on cue.

“Yes, love?”

“I wish we could just stay like this forever.”

“It is mighty tempting, I’ll grant,” he agreed. “Eilidh might miss us if we did. And we’d miss her.”

“Mm, true,” she conceded. She rolled over and rested her chin on his chest. “But this peace is something we don’t get very often, badly as we need it.”

“No argument here.” Sebastian reached up to brush her bangs out of her eyes. “I think it would get borin’ eventually, don’t you?”

“Yes, but it would take a long time to get there,” Astrid said impishly, smiling at him. “A _very_ long time.”

He chuckled. “I see you’re holding firm on this.”

“Mm, very.” She ran her fingers through his hair, traced lightly along his jaw. “Comparing two of the Maker’s masterpieces will take awhile, after all.”

“Not worried that’s blasphemy anymore, love?” Sebastian couldn’t resist teasing.

“I have it on very good authority the Maker won’t object,” Astrid countered playfully.

“I’ll have to agree with you; flattery’s a good way to make this last a lot longer than it should.”

She tipped her head, pressing her cheek closer against his chest, as her smile widened. “Then I’ll have to do it some more.”

“Astrid...”

“Hush.” She wriggled close enough to steal a kiss. “We still have plenty of time.” She slid her fingers into his hair again, settling more of her on top of him for the next kiss.

Maker’s _breath_ , but that made it hard to argue with her. Especially when he didn’t really _want_ to argue, just kiss her back. And she was right; they had plenty of time.

So Sebastian wrapped one arm around his wife’s waist to hold her close, carded his other hand through her hair, and kissed her back. Moments of peace were rare indeed. He planned to enjoy this one while they had it.


End file.
